Bonjour!

About Me

I’m a 45 year old mother of five amazing daughters and wife to a caring, sensitive AND sexy husband. I adore my family. I’m dedicated to my faith. I enjoy a good laugh. I'm nostalgic and love to reminisce. "Remember" is my favorite word in the English language. I love life! I’m passionate about music, food and travel. I’m fascinated with anything European. {PARIS! Hello!} I love celebrating anything and everything! I love to read, especially a good biography, mystery, Regency Era or Historical fiction novel. I love thoughtful gift giving. To me the gift wrap is almost as important as the gift itself. I love being creative…bolts of ribbon, coordinating scrapbook papers, producing a tablescape, or décor for a themed party etc. puts a smile on my face. I love the details! I’m a freak for anything theme oriented. I enjoy event planning, but oddly enough do not like to host or entertain. I enjoy fashion, but have to be really in the mood to clothes shop. I love purses and funky jewelry. I’d rather wear wedges or heels any day than flats. I enjoy decorating and searching for the perfect decorative pillow or picture. However, you’ll never see me frequent high-end stores. I'm more of a Ross, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning kind of gal. My favorite decor style is an old world rustic chateau look with a hint of bohemian, baroque and vintage shabby chic, like an English cottage. {confusing I know!} My #1 cookie-Molasses! Autumn is my favorite season. I’d go through childbirth a million times. I enjoy biking with my man, Pilates, and jogging. BUT you’ll never find me in a gym working out. I love movies, whether watching them in the theatre or cuddled up on the couch with my family. I enjoy a good chick flick or real life drama! I'm a sucker for movies on the Hallmark Channel. I love the elderly. I love Disneyland. I love being in the canyon on a summer or fall evening at dusk. I love my friends. While I have some extroverted characteristics. I’m a self proclaimed introvert. I’m generally quiet, calm, reserved and pretty darn private. Why in the heck do I blog? It’s a creative way to record family history. I enjoy photography. I really don’t like to write, although I write in my journal almost every day. I love the beach. I enjoy WWII history. I love a clean, orderly house, but ours looks lived in. ;) PBS Masterpiece is my friend. I adore Jane Austen films. They transport me to another time and place. If I had to choose another time period in which to live, early 19th Century England would be my pick. "Sense and Sensibility" is my all time favorite movie. My favorite TV series is the 1950's Spanish Drama "Velvet." My biggest pet peeve is people who blow their noses in public. So gross! {Take it to the bathroom people.} I’d go on a wine tasting vacation if it wasn’t against my religion. I’ve always wanted to adopt a baby from a foreign country. I’m an avid BYU football fan. I tutor elementary kids in phonics, reading, writing, comprehension and math. I love our campfires at Scofield Lake. I have a 'thing' for fairy gardens and Gallic French roosters. I love summer rainstorms and warm baths. I'm a Rush Limbaugh and Hannity Talk Radio Show listener. Also a fan of several Fox News shows. I hate when my kids have homework. I'd rather clean 20 toilets than give a talk or prayer in church. I collect quotes, Madame Alexander Dolls, children's books and Disney pins. I always prefer sitting in a back row versus the front. {I'm sort of a seat snob..yikes} I also have high expectations for my lemonade, salsa, and french fries too. HA! I work well behind the scenes. I love a good Dateline Mystery and the genealogy TV show "Who Do You Think You Are?" I’m a night owl. I'd rather be cold than hot. I enjoy being a chauffeur to my children. I’m an Anglophile… love anything English! I would like to serve a church mission to England with Jaren someday. I'm queen of paper towel, used kitchen hand towels and dishrags make me squirm. You’ll rarely find me out of the house not ready for the day, except when driving the kids to school on the days I don't work. I feel naked without lip gloss. Pairing up white socks, chipped fingernail polish, chapped lips and brownie crumbs on the floor drive me nuts! I like to organize and BE organized..but not saying I always am. ;) I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, ATV’ing with my family and snowshoeing with the hubs. Although I enjoy collecting recipes and occasionally watch cooking shows... (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, Paula Deen, and the Pioneer Woman are my favorites) I’d rather not cook. Eating out is so much more fun. I live to eat! LOL Trying new foods and restaurants is a favorite pasttime. I love the joy of anticipation and the celebration of holidays. Family traditions are important to me. I'm a memory preserver. I'm a pathological picture taker ;) and I love happy lists!

My Fam!

Mr. and I

My Girls!

Kyleigh Dawn (22)

Emma Abigail (20)

Hannah Isabelle (17)

Brielle Olivia (13)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (7)

My Man!

Good Times!

Disneyland Tips

What I Believe!

Our Missionary

My list of favorite movies!

Learn more about Dyslexia!

Music To My Ears!

Sunday, June 01, 2014

What's On My Happy List?

THE ROADSHOW! Not sure why our Stake loves roadshows so much, but they do!

This will be our THIRD in recent years. The ones I directed in the past were mini ones compared to this...this was a full blown out roadshow!..like the ones reminiscent of the 80's.

A 13 min production with music, dance and script.

This baby took over my thought process for a good four months. I and my girls were heavily involved from beginning to end...coming up with the final story line, developing the script, casting, costumes, choosing the music, choreography and directing.

It was so much work!...{and pretty torturous at times actually}... Can I dig a hole and hide?

It was way more time, effort and mental energy than I had bargained for, but gosh darn it,

the end result was priceless.

Our theme was "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." It was a modern spoof of The Little Mermaid story with a missionary twist. {Ariel joins the church!} It was clever, light hearted, cute, fun and entertaining. It wasn't Broadway, but I even admit it turned out pretty darn good....

for a church roadshow!

This picture below has literally become my fav of Emma and Hannah. It makes me want to pee my pants from laughter, and or cry tears of joy because no one knows {but a few} what it took behind the scenes and in the trenches to pull this production off.

Many times I thought why. why. why. did I volunteer to do this?...
But then it came together in the 11th hour,
{I'm here to tell you that the Lord cares about corny church roadshows}.
And when it was all said and done...THREE of my girls said they would MISS doing it.
The ultimate payback to hear them say that.

Knowing I've helped provide this kind of opportunity {which is rare these days}, for the youth, makes it all worth it. And then of course the memories it creates.
That's why I do these dang roadshows. I'd put myself thru it again. just. for. THAT.
...for the memories...

just give me a few years to recoup..

Kyleigh played the part of Ariel.

King Triton

Ariel's sisters and brother...

Even Dori from Nemo made a guest appearance...

Scuttle and Flounder

The jelly fish!

The clown fish!

Ursula the Sea Witch

two sister missionaries....

Ariel with Prince Eric

Under the Sea fishes...

Kyleigh turned into an actress for a night. She'd convince anyone with her face expressions. hilarious!

Ursula seriously rocked it!

The infamous Kiss the Girl scene...Mormon style!

Missionaries in the city of Atlantica to teach the mer people! Who would have thunk? ;)

My partners in crime...Joan and the sound tec guy!

I gave Joan a "Little Mermaid" inspired thank you gift so she can always remember our one of a kind experience together. An Ariel music box, filled with seashells, that plays "Under The Sea".